OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.74°N, 111.88°EAsia/Shanghai

Deep Astronomical Night-58.0° (< −18°)

01:52:47

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 57m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:48

Civil Dusk18:14

Nautical18:43

Full Dark19:12

Nadir00:17

Dark Ends05:20

Nautical05:50

Civil Dawn06:19

Sunrise06:45

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.1°

DISTANCE380,001 km

Moonrise16:00

Moonset04:26

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX45% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

76/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Asia/Shanghai

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-61.4°	60°	Libra	06:57	12:07	17:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	5.4°	76°	Leo	01:23	08:06	14:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.6°	239°	Pisces	16:59	23:04	05:10	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	14.1°	78°	Cancer	00:38	07:32	14:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-75.5°	17°	Libra	08:31	13:32	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	73.3°	143°	Taurus	19:32	02:35	09:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.9°	244°	Pisces	16:34	22:34	04:35	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:00

BEST TIME22:08S · 56° high

SETS04:26

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:23

BEST TIME08:06S · 70° high

SETS14:52

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:59

BEST TIME23:04S · 57° high

SETS05:10

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:57

BEST TIME12:07S · 38° high

SETS17:22

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:38

BEST TIME07:32S · 73° high

SETS14:28

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.